FIT FOR LIFE: Are you being FOOLISH – or FIT FOR LIFE?

After an old bodybuilding picture of mine resurfaced last week, I discussed the details of contest preparation to a friend and told him of all the hard work and dedication it took to get there. All the heavy workouts, and the craziest, most restrictive diet you can ever imagine. He asked me if I could do it again. I told him I could, and could do it even better than I did in those days, because I know more and have evolved a lot since then. However, I told him I wouldn't because I would have to restructure my whole training concept. Then I started to think of all the changes I have made since then, and all the mistakes I made during those days, and how I was misled into thinking I was a picture of health. Let's rewind 15 years, and list what I thought was healthy and the reasons why I was wrong.

Learning From the Past

I owned a microwave back then, and now I won't eat or consume anything that has been heated or thawed in one. Not withstanding the health issues, I think anything cooked in a microwave tastes horrible. Parts are still cold, while others are scorching hot, and everything tastes like rubber. This is due to the electromagnetic radiation used to provide heat. This also denatures and kills most live nutrients in your food, so you are eating food as nutritious as cardboard, and if you reheat in plastic this causes the Xeno estrogens from the plastic to leach into your food, so now you are eating nutrient deficient food loaded with toxic estrogens. Not a good thing! If you doubt the concerns I raise, just Google “don’t use a microwave” and read and watch experts in nutrition and holistic health talk about their concerns. Use the stovetop with stainless cookware. It takes about the same time, or just a little longer, than a microwave and will be better for you.

Two more mistakes I was making: eating cheap tuna from a can and using artificial sweeteners. The mentality was to eat high protein, and minimize extra calories. I never thought about the BPA's in the can, or the high levels of mercury in the tuna, or the toxic nature of the sweeteners. Now, I do not buy or consume any canned goods, artificial sweeteners, or tuna. Buying fresh foods is more beneficial because the food is live, or has recently been so, and so are the nutrients and enzymes that our bodies need for growth and repair, and to keep our immune systems strong. I also only eat wild caught fish, such as salmon, striper, sea bass, halibut, and cod. Larger fish such as tuna, sword, and mako shark carry a higher concentration of toxins due to their position on the food chain. A lot of proof has been accumulating about eating these fish being tied to neurological disorders and problems with cognitive function. So you want to eat the smaller fish. Sardines, mackerel, and anchovies are the healthiest, but are not to everyone's pallet as tasty. As far as the sweeteners, not too many people are unaware of the health risks, so I won't be repetitive on this topic. To ignore the information that is universally agreed upon ends up being a personal choice – and in my opinion, one which would compromise a good diet moving in the right direction.

Another big mistake I was making was buying meat and other food from big discount stores. You know, the ones that sell tires and food in the same store? When you pay discount prices, you get inferior goods. The larger the scale, the lower the quality. Think about it. Can a small organic farmer give the same care to 100 animals as it gives to 1500 animals? Absolutely not. Is the food on a cruise ship with 2500 people on board as good as a small local restaurant that seats 30? Again the answer is no. I have learned over the years that it is rare to find a discount on quality items, from food to tools. Therefore I only purchase my food from quality markets, and only eat free range and grass fed meats and poultry. It is better for you, for the small farmer, and the environment.

I also subscribed to the fat free craze, eating fruity fat free yogurt, ice cream, cookies, and baked potato chips. Now I know that anything with a label that states: fat free/ no sugar/ vitamin enriched/low calorie/high fiber, is a bunch of processed over-marketed garbage. When you eat something packaged, the less ingredients the better, and if you can't read the label - don't eat it. Fat is better than the cheap fillers and chemicals they put in its place, and fat lowers the glycemic index on foods, making them more sustainable, and available to be broken down in the body as nutrients, so when they process yogurt by removing the fat, and add fruit with high fructose corn syrup, it makes it a high glycemic food, making the consumer fatter and fatter, and more and more insulin resistant, and closer to obesity, and diabetes. Not an ideal place for you to be. Eat snacks with ingredients you can read like: peanuts/dates/salt or potatoes/salt/oil (real organic chips). Less is better, and you will see and feel the difference.

A Little Older-A Lot Wiser

Back then obesity and other diseases were less than half as prevalent as it is today. I made these changes as soon as I knew the difference, and here I am 15 years later, healthier and fitter with more endurance than I have ever had, with my blood labs and hair analysis tests all being ideal, which leads me to believe that I am correct on these matters. Remember people, knowledge is power, and it took me a lot of education and research to find this stuff out. Now I am giving it to you first hand, in concentrated form. It is up to you to make the change. I changed, and I was enough of an authority then that people asked me for advice. I still knew more than most, but not enough. You now know enough to make a change. If you care about yourself you will make it. Ignorance is no longer an excuse.

My definition of insanity: when you keep doing something over and over, expecting a certain response, and the results never change in a positive way, but keep getting worse. Stop the insanity, and live!!

Matt Espeut has worked as a personal trainer for almost 20 years with clients ranging in age from 14 to 86. His focus is on overall health, strength, and functional conditioning. Holistic health and nutrition is the cornerstone of all his programs. Matt works in private and small group training available at your home or office location or at gym facilities. Matt offers his services to everyone wanting to be more fit and healthy, overweight young people, youth/collegiate athletes, and seniors. Matt has worked and continues to train at several facilities in the Providence area including Gold's Gym and CORE Studio, and he believes continued education is a must in his field. Email Matt: [email protected], check out his website at www.fitnessprofiles.net or on Facebook at Matt Espeut or on Twitter @MattEspeut.

Related Slideshow: 10 Great Yoga Spots

Providence Power Yoga

Providence Power Yoga is the perfect place to get your daily dose of calm, whether you are just beginning the exploration of yoga or have been reaping its benefits for years. Try Revive and Restore for the ultimate class in revitalization and relaxation. If you’re a music lover, Chillwave Solar Flow is your go-to class, complete with fun electronic indie music and heated power-yoga.

Bristol Yoga Studio

If you are a yoga beginner or are experiencing the body changes that come with pregnancy, Bristol Yoga Studio is the place to go. Beginners will benefit from Kripalu Yoga, a mixed-level class that emphasizes wholeness, meditation, and balance. Pre-natal yoga will teach breathing techniques, body awareness, and more that will help both in labor and after you have had your child.

Boiler House Bikram Yoga

Boiler House Bikram Yoga in Providence is the place to be for all things Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga is a yoga practice that incorporates 26 traditional Hatha Yoga poses and 2 breathing exercises in a hot room. The benefits of Bikram Yoga include detoxification, increased libido, reduced stress, and so much more. Try it out for yourself; we did!

Yoga Loft RI

Beginners can’t go wrong with Yoga Loft RI in Warren. Try out Yin Restorative Yoga to bring balance to your life, Sunday Morning Yoga for a healthy and rejuvenating start to your week, or Beginners Belly Dance for a fun and creative experience. If you’ve got little ones, sign them up for the Kid’s Yoga Club!

Santosha Yoga Studio

Santosha Yoga Studio & Holistic Center offers so much more than yoga. Enjoy complementary wellness consultations to learn the right path for you to take at the center. Explore acupuncture, therapeutic massage, organic facials, and other great holistic services at the center. If you or someone you know are a survivor of cancer, be sure to check out special classes geared towards survivors.

Eyes of the World

Saturday, January 18 from 12:30-2:30 pm, start your yoga journey at Eyes of the World Yoga Center in Providence. For only $18 with early registration, try out a two-hour beginner’s workshop that will show you everything that the center has to offer. Learn the basics of yoga posture, focus, contentment, and humility. Another unique feature of Eyes is free yoga for veterans that suffer from PTSD—visit their website to see how you can help.

Breathing Time Yoga

Breathing Time Yoga in Pawtucket is out to prove to the world that yoga is beneficial to everyone, regardless of weight, age, sex, or ability. This is made evident with their Yoga for Curvy Women class—awesome! Other unique classes and workshops include Stress Less for Teens, Mom & Baby Yoga, Mindful Eating and more! Take a trip to the studio to find a class that’s right for you.

The Heron Studio

The Heron Studio in nearby Fall River incorporates yoga, meditation and dance into their studio culture. Yoga is taught on three levels: introductory for beginners, intermediate to broaden understanding and goals in the practice of yoga, and advanced for students who wish to bring yoga off the cushion and into their daily lives. Several dance classes are taught that embrace community, fitness, strength, and well being.

Shri Studio

Check out Shri Studio in Pawtucket for a mindful and relaxing yoga experience. Highlights of their extensive class list include Yoga for Seniors, Gentle Yoga (free for followers of the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Center, plus one guest!), and Forrest Yoga—designed to address physical and emotional stresses that may be stored within the body.

Serenity Yoga

Next Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30 pm, visit Serenity Yoga in Warwick for a $10 drop-in yoga session. The class will incorporate a half-hour of yoga practice and a half-hour of guided meditation—the perfect remedy for your hectic week. While you’re in, make sure to check out all of the classes that the center offers.